


The night has a thousand eyes

by cannibalpasta



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Asphyxiation, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Trailer, Established Relationship, Fluff, Iron Husbands, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-04
Updated: 2019-03-04
Packaged: 2019-11-12 01:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18001088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cannibalpasta/pseuds/cannibalpasta
Summary: The silhouette could be seen through the clouds before the ship even landed. When it did, Jim's blood ran cold.No more,was his first thought. His second was a wish. A wish he didn't dare even think out loud. A wish abouthim.A short iron husbands fic inspired by Avengers: Endgame trailer.





	The night has a thousand eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Yup, I'm still alive.... (insert that "I lived bitch" meme here)
> 
> I have a lot of feelings regarding the Endgame trailer. Here is one thought that kept bothering me until I managed to write it. I hope you enjoy reading!
> 
> The title is from Francis William Bourdillon's poem by the same name.
> 
> (Also, if any readers from my other fics are here: Sorry for the super long hiatus, I'll try to update "The Stark Contract" somewhere within the month!)

  
The silhouette could be seen through the clouds before the ship even landed. When it did, Jim's blood ran cold.

 _No more_ , was his first thought. His second was a wish. A wish he didn't dare even think out loud. A wish about _him_.

Steve was leading them through the compound's yard as they watched the ship. It was a little windy, but otherwise it was a calm night. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The ship had touched down and stood there silently only for a few seconds when a hatch opened and a ramp begun descending. He followed the others towards it. Bruce was a cautious man -- the most cautious of them all, some would even argue, while Jim disagreed -- but now he was the first one to reach the ramp.

He glanced quickly at Jim when he did, eyes wide with panic. Jim sped up into a run and Bruce turned to Steve and Nat.

"Get medical assistance. Now!" Natasha nodded, quick to pull out her phone, dialing a number as she begun running back to the compound.

"He needs oxygen," said an unknown, weirdly distorted voice. Jim stopped by Bruce's side and saw a blue-skinned alien standing by the hatch. He made to reach for Bruce to pull him farther from her, but then caught a glimpse of the figure slumped against the alien.

"Rhodey," someone said, probably Bruce, but Jim wasn't there to listen. All his attention was honed in on the figure. The man seemed to be barely breathing.

" _Rhodes_ ," this time it was Steve, and it was followed by a firm hand pressed to his shoulder. He shrugged it off and finally got control back over his limbs.

 _Tony_.

 _"Let go of him,_ " he hissed at the alien, arms reaching for Tony as he closed the distance between himself and the hatch. A hand took a hold of him again and he shrugged it off, this time less gently. "Give him to me."

The alien looked ready to disagree with him, her grip tightening around Tony's waist. Jim didn't like that. Not one bit.

"He's my _husband!_ Give him to me!" he spat heatedly. His hand had moved to his side, ready to pull out his piece if necessary.

"He needs a _healer_ ," was all the alien said, a disdainful sneer curling her upper lip.

"He'll get one," Bruce interjected before Jim could say or do anything else, stepping between him and the ship. "A medical team is on their way. Meanwhile, I can look him over."

The alien gave Bruce a quick once-over before nodding stiffly. She maneuvered Tony down the ramp and lowered him to the grass. Jim was next to him in a second.

" _Tony_ ," he said, a hand brushing over his husband's brow. "Come on, Tones."

Bruce was crouching next to him, fingers pressed against the pulse point at Tony's wrist. "His pulse is thready."

"Baby, come on. _Come on,_ " Jim kept on going, hands fumbling and his heart frantic. Bruce had produced a small flashlight from his jacket pocket. He checked Tony's eyes while Jim couldn't tear his own away from the bluish hue that colored the man's lips.

"Bruce!" it was Nat. Jim spared a glance over his shoulder, and saw her running towards them with paramedics. Two of them had a stretcher between them and the third carried a large bag, slung over her shoulder.

"He's hypoxic!" Bruce yelled at them. "He needs oxygen, _now!"_ There was an underlying growl in his voice that Jim felt incredibly grateful for. The medic with the bag rushed over, and Jim made room for her when Steve grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. He let him, mostly because the paramedic was holding an oxygen cylinder.

A mask was placed over Tony's face and all Jim could do was watch. Watch and hope. Steve's hand hadn't left his shoulder, and it was gripping him hard. Too hard. And Jim was certain it wasn't to keep him still, but rather keep the captain himself still.

For a few agonizing moments they all stood still, except for the paramedics working around Tony and Bruce still leaning slightly over them nearby. The alien that had presumably traveled with Tony was by Jim's left, eyes glued to Tony's prone form like the rest of them. Jim felt like _he_ was the one in need of the oxygen supply, because he _couldn't breathe_ , not with Tony lying motionlessly right there in front of him. Not until one of the paramedics finally spoke up.

"He's stabilizing!" and Jim was ready to pass out with relief. "Mr. Stark, can you hear me?"

He heard a faint grunt and rushed to kneel by Tony's head again. "Baby? Baby, can you hear me?"

Tony groaned. His eyes fluttered and he attempted to talk. "Don't, Tones--"

"Don't try to talk," Bruce spoke over him, "you have an oxygen mask on. Just keep breathing."

Jim heard him groan again and then his honey brown eyes opened finally. Jim had to hold back a sob. Tony's eyes met his and his brows scrunched. Jim caught his hand in his before he could move it unsteadily over to his face. He kissed his knuckles.

"We thought you were dead," he told him, not bothering to soften his words. He was hard like that, jagged, toughened by the military. Tony was the one that made him soft and loving. Tony disagreed with him on that. He liked to gloat to Jim that he was just a big softie inside. And perhaps he was, but that was when Tony was concerned.

Tony's mouth moved, and Jim thought he was mouthing 'ta-da'. It forced a short laugh out of him, and he hid it against the back of Tony's hand. "I'm glad you're not," he whispered. Tony smiled at him.

Then his eyes shifted, looking for something. They stopped when they found the blue-skinned alien. His hand moved to pull off his oxygen mask, but Jim was quick to grab it. Tony turned his head to glare at him.

"It's fine to remove the mask temporarily now," the paramedic opposite to Jim said. "We'll be wanting to move him inside soon, anyway."

Reluctantly, Jim let Tony pull off his mask.

"Are you okay, Nebula?" Tony asked, his voice rough and weak. Still, it was like music to Jim's ears.

The alien, Nebula, shook her head like she was exasperated. She probably was. "I'm not the one that almost died of oxygen deprivation." And just like that, Jim was starting to warm up to her.

Tony coughed out a laugh, and both Jim's and Bruce's hands were there instantly to push the mask back into place. "Oh, hi Bruce," Tony mumbled through the mask, eyes bright. Bruce smiled back, brushing a hand over Tony's shoulder.

As the paramedics began preparing to load Tony up to the stretcher, his eyes kept scanning the environment. They eventually landed on Nat and Steve. He looked like he didn't know what to say. Jim supposed that he wouldn't either, especially with the almost teary-eyed, tender looks they were sending his way. More so the captain than the widow. Did he not know better, Jim could've sworn the woman had had some of her facial muscles permanently paralyzed to keep her from forming any overt expressions.

After Tony was secured to the stretcher, they begun moving towards the compound and the med bay waiting there. Jim kept holding his hand, watching him and drinking his face in, searing his open, _alive_ eyes into memory.

He turned to look at the al--to look at _Nebula_ , walking beside him, as if she wasn't sure she was allowed to walk by the stretcher. That was probably Jim's fault.

He met her eyes, nodding. "Thank you," he said, and meant it. Nebula nodded back. Tony squeezed his hand, as if to tell him he did the right thing. Jim felt like he could breathe freely for the first time in weeks.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't think Rhodey has been referred to as 'Jim' ever in the MCU, but I prefer it to 'James' so there you go if you were wondering about his name.
> 
> Thanks for reading :) [my tumblr](https://cannibalpasta.tumblr.com/)


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